After Twelve Years
by Stormcloud Empath
Summary: Inspired by and based on the short story After Twenty Years by O. Henry. Sirius wonders whether Remus will keep a promise. Was not originally meant to be slash, but can be interpreted that way.


Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. "After Twenty Years" belongs to O. Henry. I own nothing.

**After Twelve Years**

The wind rustled through the trees as night fell over the village of Hogsmeade. Apart from the breeze, it was a warm night, but the only soul out on the streets felt nothing but dread.

In the guise of Padfoot, the enormous black dog, Sirius Black had been on the run from the Dementors of Azkaban for eight years now. Twelve years in hell - for if indeed there were a hell, Azkaban would be it - followed by eight years of unending flight to nowhere...all this time added up to twenty years. Twenty years since Sirius had last seen Remus, Peter and James. Twenty years since Padfoot had last haunted Godric's Hollow [LP1] in the company of Moony, Wormtail and Prongs. Twenty years since the promise.

On the night of their last full moon together, the legendary Marauders had sworn a promise to meet again, twenty years later, no matter where they were in their lives. Hogsmeade was the chosen setting, for the sake of old times if nothing else. Sirius was glad of this accidental foresight; after all that had happened he was not sure he could have had the heart to return to Prongs's home.

James Potter could no longer keep that promise, and Peter Pettigrew, of course, was the one responsible for it. Sirius did not expect to see either of them. If James appeared, it would only be proof that Sirius really had gone mad in Azkaban. If Peter appeared, Sirius would kill him on sight, old promises be damned. No, it was Remus Lupin that Sirius was waiting for...it was Remus whose arrival he anticipated so eagerly, and at the same time, it was Remus whose face he most dreaded seeing.

After twenty years, here was the moment of truth. Sirius knew that there was no way to be sure that Remus would show up at all. But if he did, then surely he would answer the question had been weighing on Sirius's mind ever since it had been freed from the Dementors' thought-sucking chill... Did Remus believe him or not?

Sirius knew where Remus lived, but he had never dared to trespass. He needed to know, but he was afraid to find out. In all probability, Remus was as blind as the rest of the wizarding world. After all, if Albus Dumbledore did not believe the truth, then it was highly doubtful that Remus would.

But still, they had all been Marauders. Surely Remus would remember that. Surely Remus would remember that it had been Sirius who had suggested that they become Animagi...that it had been Peter who had needed convincing. Of course, Remus never knew, because Sirius and James had never told, that Peter had been in favour of ending their friendship entirely.

Of course, years later, Sirius had suspected Remus of Peter's crime, and, he was well-aware, killed James in the process. It would be well and fair for Remus to close his eyes after that...in fact, that Remus had not yet informed the Ministry of Magic that Sirius was an Animagus was probably more than the black dog deserved.

Perhaps Remus would simply forget about their promise, just as he had simply forgotten to aid the Ministry in the hunt for Sirius.

Just then, a man in a black travelling cloak with a hood over his eyes strode out of the Hog's Head. He looked around the empty village scene, then paused when his hooded e e yes fell on the solitary black dog in the middle of the street.

The man in the travelling cloak with the hood walked over to the black dog and crouched down in front of it.

'What are you doing out here?' asked the man in a low voice. 'Waiting for someone?'

Sirius barked. He had seen enough veiled travellers at the Hog's Head to know that their actions were unpredictable, and the safest thing to do was to act like an ordinary dog.

The man stared at Sirius through eye slits in his hood, then turned and walked away.

Sirius barked again and began to pace around in a circle. The darkness was all-encompassing; the village was still and silent. Remus couldn't possibly be coming here.

The hooded traveller Disapparated in the middle of the street. Despite the resounding noise, Sirius barely noticed his departure.

Sirius felt ready to give up waiting when a tall man with light brown hair who looked to be his own age came walking up the deserted street, a lantern held close in his hand.

The man stopped under a gas lamp. Now that Sirius could see him clearly, his heart gave a lurch of hope. Could it be?

The man continued a few more steps, then stopped when he was out of the gas lamp's luminous circle. Now Sirius was sure.

Remus looked different, certainly, but twenty years could do that to a person. Sirius bounded up the street, to where Remus now stood.

'Sirius, is that you?' he asked, as the black dog came panting up to him.

Sirius did not care what Remus's motive was. All that mattered was that he had come. Throwing caution to the wind, Sirius transformed.

'Yes!' Sirius cried, elated. Remus knew him, recognized him for what he to Hogsmeade had not been a silly risk after all...

'Do you...believe me?' he asked uncertainly.

Remus drew a deep breath, then answered, 'Of course. Shall we go for a walk, then? Twenty years have passed...I'm sure we have a lot of catching up to do.'

Sirius agreed, and the two of them proceeded down the street, past the place where the traveller had Disapparated. They passed under the gas lamp again, and Sirius saw Remus not only in clear light, but also close up.

Remus's hair was light brown, without any traces of grey. His face was rather handsome, without any wrinkles visible. No signs of premature aging. No signs whatsoever of lycanthropy.

There was no cure. Sirius was an outcast, yes...but he read the _Daily Prophet_ and would certainly have noticed a story about a cure for the werewolves' curse.

In a flash of sudden realisation and anger, Sirius pinned 'Remus' against the wall. 'You're not Remus Lupin!' he shouted, his face contorting in fury. 'Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to Vanish the markings of a werewolf's curse!'

To Sirius's utter surprise, the man laughed. 'No, I'm not Remus Lupin,' he said airily, 'and you've been under arrest for half an hour, Black. Auror Lupin asked me to give you this note when he sent me after you.'

The man reached into his robes as he spoke, drawing out his wand. Before Sirius could take in what was happening, the man uttered the incantation for a Banishing Charm, and Sirius was lifted off his feet and thrown across the narrow street. The man then Banished a piece of parchment, which Sirius caught. Then he shouted, 'Impedimenta!'

Temporarily frozen, Sirius read the note he was holding, which was unmistakeably Remus's handwriting.

_Padfoot, I just want you to know I came. When I walked out of the Hog's Head and saw you waiting there, I couldn't bear to do it myself. So I sent my partner out to meet you. I'm sorry, but you killed Wormtail and Prongs. The Dementors are coming. Signed, Moony_

The minute the Impediment Jinx wore off Sirius crumpled up the parchment and threw it at the Auror on the other side of the street. But before it had even come close to reaching its target, the man had shouted, 'Stupefy!'

The Stunning Spell hit Sirius straight in his tear-stained face, and as it did so, he woke to find himself still in Padfoot's form, howling. It was a moment before he remembered that he had been on the run for eight months, not eight years, and that Remus couldn't possibly be an Auror, since the Ministry didn't employ werewolves.

FINIS


End file.
